The Best Anime Songs Of 2020 (Aether’s Greatest Hits Vol 3)
Welcome to the final edition of my seasonal Anime Playlist for the year — your short guide into some of the best anime openings, endings, and original soundtracks along with some brief anime impressions!
With all of my playlists officially uploaded to TAY2 and AniTAY, along with my most recent playlist for Fall 2020 posted up last week, I wanted to do something special that I haven’t done before. As I start preparing for my own celebration of the best of games and anime of the year, today I’m looking back at the best anime theme songs across ALL of 2020.
With the exception of the last two entries, these are listed in the season they originally premiered:
Winter 2020
Song: Wild Side
Artist: ALI
Anime: Beastars
I’d normally start this section out with a joke about Netflix’s release schedule, but I think many of already know how I feel about it from my last playlist. Our very own TGRIP even penned this open letter with his thoughts about it recently.
This might come off as a surprise, but I don’t have very much to say about the show itself (I’ve watched 6 episodes as of this writing; not sure what to make of it), but the opening is an incredible piece of art. Wild Side by Hip Hop/Rap group ALI, who made their debut last year, delivers a Jazz/”Noir” inspired filled track that rapidly builds into its climax at the 50 second mark, entering a very “soft” interlude before ending things with orchestral, if not “big band” inspired piece.
Song: Tiny Light
Artist: Akari Kito
Anime: Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
Rounding things out is another personal favorite anime of the season that I’m currently unable to finish without switching to the subbed version. I actually wrote the entry for Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun in our last seasonal anime list, so I’ll refer you to that article for more details.
Another voice actor and anisong contributor, Akari Kito (Nezuko in Demon Slayer, Kotoko in In/Spectre), provides the ending theme along with voicing lead heroine Nene. In a sharp contrast to the chaotic rock stylings of the show’s opening, Tiny Light is a somber tune evoking themes of longing and departure as the two central leads share a connection in their alternate worlds (life and death). I’m particularly fond of the repeating chorus and red visuals that remain a constant in portraying Nene and Hanako’s perspective in white and black, respectively. Simply put, it’s a beautiful composition for an equally beautiful anime.
Spring 2020
Song: Daddy! Daddy! Do!
Artist: Masayuki Suzuki, Airi Suzuki
Anime: Kaguya-sama: Love is War (Season 2)
Other than a brief after credits mention many seasons ago, it’s hard to believe this is the first time I’ve officially listed Masayuki Suzuki on these posts. Despite Kaguya-sama: Love is War’s almost universally beloved status here on AniTAY, I jumped into it much later after its first season completed following a very convincing review by our fellow contributors. Originally dismissing it as another fad or overhyped romantic comedy, I came away with a surprisingly delightful and well-crafted anime that just so happened to excel in a genre I don’t dabble in very often. Perhaps it was the almost minimal amount of downtime between episodes or the episodic progression of our two main lovebirds, but I was thoroughly impressed with the layers of depth in both its narrative and growing cast of (dys)functional student council members.
Returning from season 1, Masayuki Suzuki once again delivers a high energy smooth jam that somehow manages to improve on its predecessor. While some might prefer the more “dramatic” stylings of the first opening, I came to enjoy Daddy! Daddy! Do! from both a musical and a narrative perspective. Between the harmonized vocals of the main chorus, the snappy lyrics and upbeat rhythm, and the general undertone/shift subtly hinting that things will be “heating up” this season, this opening is the clear victor in today’s battle results.
Song: Chiisana Hibi
Artist: flumpool
Anime: Kakushigoto
Back when I did the entry for Kakushigoto for our AniTAY seasonal recommendations, I called it the season’s best kept secret. Long after the credits rolled, Kakushigoto left a notable impression on me with its heartwarming story about a father/manga artist and oblivious daughter who was unaware of her dad’s true occupation. I made comparisons to the recent Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! and Somali and the Forest Spirit which covered similar beats and subject material, although meeting somewhere in the middle in terms of their core themes. And yet, I found myself drawn to the more simplistic and down to earth style of storytelling presented in Kakushigoto. Whereas most shows this season swiped left, letting their visuals and extraordinary settings do the talking, Kakushigoto is a rare breed of anime that prefers to dabble in the mundane and tell an interesting story through its humor and humble setting.
Likewise, J-rock band flumpool (Ajin: Demi-Human, Ahiru no Sora) settles for a refreshing, soft rock tune that gives it a sense of nostalgia of more joyful, peaceful days with the reality that all things come to an end. Chiisana Hibi encapsulates the mellower and simple tones of Kakushigoto with its uplifting lyrics and dynamic instrumentation in between its main chorus. I also loved the beautiful colorization of the opening visuals and the main vocalist’s transitions from soft spoken to emotional as the song repeats the main lyrics.
Summer 2020
Song: Realize
Artist: Konomi Suzuki
Anime: Re:Zero (Season 2)
I recently wrapped up season 1 of Re:Zero after having it in my backlog of shame since at least a year, if not longer. I had finished the first half sometime after the English dub went up, but the second half was incomplete at the time, so I put it in the backburner and promptly forgot about it. As a result, I didn’t quite feel the four yearlong gap as strongly as most, so with the second season in full swing, I finally revisited the series. It’s a strange point to come back to Re:Zero at the exact moment where Subaru had his infamous breakdown that kicked off his next brush with death and despair, but I’ve very much enjoyed the direction the story has taken which alleviated any initial doubts I might have formed coming into this series. Overall, I quite enjoyed my time with it, but if you’re interested in much more detailed take, fellow contributor Dilkokoro recently posted his thoughts on the first season.
What are the odds that we got not one, but two anisongs from the same artist for different shows? This just saves me the trouble of having to write two different write ups for them! I won’t spend too much time on the opening sequence itself as the dub just started as of this writing, but holy shit, it does not skimp on the brutality! Compared to the bright, evocative Theatre of Life from the last pick, Realize is a heavier, almost somber jam that emphasizes the despair and agony of Re:Zero’s protagonist while still being a banger of an opening theme. I must give special emphasis to the full version which, aside from being (literal) fire, includes a beautiful melodic piece partway before giving way to the reprisal of the main chorus.
Song: Chaos Drifters
Artist: SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], Jean-Ken Johnny
Anime: No Guns Life
One of my favorite shows from last year, No Guns Life hit all the right triggers with me in its first part. Part 2 returned and immediately got down to business, wasting no time to reintroducing its main characters and setting the stage for a larger conspiracy with deeper connections to each of their checkered pasts. It’s the only show this season where the main character has a gun for a head and still manages to deliver a serious cyberpunk story under the guise of an unapologetically silly-but-straight-faced anime. In other words… well, what more do you need from a show?
As covered by fellow contributor TGRIP, Hiroyuki Sawano is a name that will be all too familiar for anyone who has consumed one of the many popular anime he composed for in the last decade. Best known for his work on Attack on Titan and Promare soundtracks among others, he’s also known as a musician under the moniker SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], who has collaborated with other artists on various projects. Partnering with MAN WITH A MISSION’s Jean-Ken Johnny on lyrics, they deliver a high intensity rock fueled beat that’s difficult to characterize under one category. With a variety of instrumentation in place along with Jean-Ken Johnny’s vocals empowering many of the transitions before the climax, this duo delivers one of the most kick ass openings along with MADHOUSE’s stylish opening sequence.
Fall 2020
Song: Yuusetsu
Artist: THE SIXTH LIE
Anime: Golden Kamuy
One of my favorite anime from 2018, Golden Kamuy’s first two seasons told a wild tale about a soldier and an Ainu girl traveling to find a hidden treasure hidden somewhere in Hokkaido in a world filled with liars, cheaters, and killers all too eager to get their hands on the gold themselves for their own reasons. Season 3 ups the ante by splitting up the pair into two groups as they make their way into Russian territory, meeting unusual folks and finding out more about the architect of the hidden gold stash. It’s a little faster paced to my liking, but aside from JJK, I haven’t had this much fun with a Shonen since the beginning of the year! I’d like to save some thoughts for potential future posts, so I’ll just end with this: for those who heed the call of the wild with an appreciation for history, culture, and a colorful sense of humor, Golden Kamuy is a treasure worthy of your time.
Taking a much more symphonic approach to the show’s previous themes, Yuusetsu (Melting Snow) by rock group The Sixth Lie captures the third season’s new direction as its two main leads find themselves in foreign lands against the raging winter storm and the other unseen forces in pursuit of fortune. With a burning, passionate chorus and cold, emotional undertone combined with classical, electronic instrumentation and guitar work, The Sixth Lie once more delivers a golden rock performance.
Song: LOST IN PARADISE feat. AKLO
Artist: ALI
Anime: Jujutsu Kaisen
Excluding continuing series and sequels, 2020 was not a very good year for Shonen — at least in terms of brand-new adaptions. After the disaster that was The God of High School, MAPPA bounced back harder than ever with Jujutsu Kaisen, a horroresque (lite) battle Shonen with plenty of personality and flair to make up for a rather slow year for the genre as Crunchyroll’s Originals continued to lose ground with three underwhelming Webtoon adaptions back to back. If you’re skeptical, I sympathize. Even now, plenty of critics have gone to bat calling this “the next Demon Slayer,” “a major subversion to the genre,” or my personal favorite, “basically Naruto.”
Given that we’ve barely reached 10 out of a planned 24 episodes (as of this writing), while I think it’s still too early to be drawing those impressions when we’ve only scratched the surface as far as characters, narrative, and the main plot is concerned, I’m very intrigued at the direction it’s taking in laying out the familiar genre pieces — or bodily organs in one case! In short, it’s pretty damn good. I’ll probably have more to say in the future, but for now, JJK is a promising start for the genre entering the new decade.
Best known for the incredible opening and musical stylings of Beastars, Ali returns with yet another bold departure from most anime themes. Joined by hip hop artist Aklo, Lost in Paradise is a fusion of Jazz and rap, not quite fitting a particular label. Much like the show being represented, it’s a unique blend of genres, instrumentation, and performances dancing to the beat of their own steps as the two featured artists play off each other. From its progressive rhythm to its swinging lyrics, Jujutsu Kaisen’s ending theme is without a doubt this season’s most prestigious ending theme.
Best OP of The Year (2020):
Song: Welcome to Chaos
Artist: (K)NoW_NAME
Anime: Dorohedoro
The best way for me to describe this show in one sentence: it’s about a lizard man who eats Gyoza and sticks people’s heads in his mouth to find the person who changed his appearance. Dorohedoro is all kinds of messed up and quite possibly the best show this season now that Netflix finally dropped this one unto an unsuspecting public. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say down the road as the year winds down, but if you’ve been holding out for some reason, stop reading this now and start watching. I’ll wait.
One of my favorite featured artists on this column, (K)NoW_NAME has been generally known for the classical, symphonic, and rocking orchestration in shows like Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash and Fairy Gone. When word hit that they were tapped to compose the music in Dorohedoro, I was immediately intrigued and perplexed at what kind of sound they would create to represent the grim, if not downright ugly (in a good way), setting that is The Hole. Just like its namesake, Welcome to Chaos is very much a chaotic ooze of knife slicing fury complete with a chilling sound straight out of a metal nightmare. It feels like a complete reinvention on their impressive portfolio of anime soundtracks while standing out as one of their best performances to date.
Best ED of The Year (2020)
Song: The Great Pretender
Artist: Freddie Mercury
Anime: Great Pretender
C’mon, do I really have to explain this one? It’s got the freaking title in the song!
Okay, real quick then. Arguably one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived, rock icon Freddie Mercury rose to stardom as the lead singer in Queen, as well as a number of singles as a solo artist. It is rare that an anime utilizes western songs for their productions, but it does happen every so often — the most recognizable example that comes to mind is Mr. Big’s “Shine” as the ending theme for the original Hellsing.
Originally performed by The Platters, Mercury’s take on The Great Pretender was something of a metaphor for the late artist’s career and stage persona from his perspective, as noted in one of his final interviews. It tells the story about a lost flame and the fake mask one puts on to hide their true feelings from the general public — a feeling all too familiar for those who have walked the dark roads of depression or regret. In relation to the anime, it follows the central theme of its four main con artists who have given up their original identities or, depending on your perspective, found their true nature by shedding their former lives. It’s an interesting POV that the show wrestles with (notably Edumura) as fragments of their past reemerge and suddenly the line between the con and con artist becomes blurry, not only for the viewer, but the swindler themselves.
This is normally the part where I go into the music, but in this case, I think it speaks for itself. Evocative, powerful, and a triumphant masterclass in songwriting and music, The Great Pretender is easily this season’s (and possibly this year’s) greatest ending theme.
Dark Aether is a writer/contributor for TAY and AniTAY. You can check his previous writings on TAY2, Medium, or follow him on Twitter @TheGrimAether. Not Dead Yet.
